At about 2 p.m., Rob saw a group of 11 does make their way toward the dense thicket. Knowing that a buck could be following this group of does made it easier to convince himself that he wasn't crazy for hunting on such a miserably cold afternoon.

"At 3:30 the does came back through the thicket and went into a picked cornfield to feed," Rob recalled. "The deer kept piling into the cornfield. At about 4 p.m., an 8-pointer started checking them out. After a few minutes the does suddenly got very jumpy. Then they all spooked and started running toward my stand. As they were running toward me, I raised my binoculars to see what had scared them. It was Big Nasty!"

THE SHOT OF A LIFETIME!
"I put down the binoculars and shouldered my T/C Encore right away," Rob continued. "When I found him in the scope, he was jumping the fence and running right for me. Then, just like it was meant to be, he stopped and turned perfectly broadside at about 80 yards, looking back in the direction from which he had come.

"When that happened I already had my finger on the trigger," Rob said. "That's when I stopped and forced myself to take a breath. I knew I was only going to have one shot and I wanted to be sure I did it right. So many times before this moment, I'd played killing him over and over in my mind. That helped me stay calm enough to pick my spot and smoothly pull the trigger."

After the shot, smoke filled the air. Rob had no idea what had happened to the buck. When Rob could finally see he scanned the 3-foot-tall alfalfa field, looking for Big Nasty. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spotted the rack sticking up from the dead alfalfa.

"That's when I got excited," Rob admitted. "I got my stuff together and called my dad from the stand. He later told me that he couldn't understand a word I was saying, but he knew from my excitement that it must have had something to do with Big Nasty. He told me that he was on his way to dinner, and I told him to turn around and come over to the farm right away, that I needed his help.

"After I had called my wife and gotten all my stuff together, about 20 minutes had passed since I shot him. All the while, I kept checking on him to make sure he didn't raise his head or try to get up. I wanted to make sure he was down. I knew that I had to get back to my truck, change clothes and meet Dad at the gate. While doing that, I passed within about 30 yards of where he was lying, and when I got that close I knew for sure that he was dead."

RECORD STANDINGS
Rob's great buck had 39 points and over 110 inches in non-typical growth. As a main-frame 5x5, the massive rack sports a 180 2/8-inch typical frame with just under 6 inches in deductions. Because of the configuration of some of the non-typical points, the outside spread stretched the tape to 35 inches. With a gross non-typical score of 290 6/8 inches and a net non-typical score of 284 7/8, you'd think Rob's great buck would easily be the largest velvet buck ever taken -- a world record, if you will -- but that is not the case.

On Oct. 27, 2001, Troy Wilson shot a velvet buck in Gallatin County, Kentucky, that netted 293 1/8. This makes Rob's great buck No. 2. The Wilson buck had 44 points. Although much narrower than Rob's buck, it sported 114 7/8 inches in non-typical growth. Coincidentally, the Wilson buck was also taken with a muzzleloader. However, neither buck is eligible for entry in the record book. At present, neither the Boone and Crockett Club nor the Longhunter Society (keeper of the muzzleloader records) accepts velvet racks into their respective record books. But Rob is not complaining. He knows he has a very special whitetail.

As a writer and avid whitetail hunter myself, I was impressed by Rob as an extremely nice guy who eats, breathes and lives deer hunting -- certainly the kind of guy who deserves such an incredible trophy. It didn't take long for me to figure out that even though he's a very skilled hunter, his family is more important to him than any deer he might kill.

In fact, two days after Rob brought down Big Nasty, Tyler shot the same 8-pointer that Rob had seen with the 11 does. Rob seemed more excited about Tyler's buck than he was with his own! The 2006 season was good to the Brennan family. Not only did Rob shoot one of the top non-typicals of all time, but 12-year-old Tyler ended up shooting his first bow and his first shotgun buck. What a year!

(Editor's Note: An autographed copy of the author's popular book Advanced Stand-Hunting Strategies can be ordered for $22.50, including tax and shipping. An autographed copy of the author's brand-new hardback book, Bowhunting Tactics That Deliver Trophies, can be ordered for $30. Both books can be purchased for $50. Send a check or money order to: Steve Bartylla, 1406 St. Joseph Ave., Marshfield, WI 54449.)

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